Reminder - Due to the present public health concerns and Governor Walz's many Executive Orders regarding physical distancing, our in-person Wednesday morning weekly meetings are moved to Zoom until further notice. Ed.
Member Submissions - See the end of The Spoke.
Next Meeting February 24, 2021 - President Chris Carr called the next weekly meeting by Zoom video for February 24, 2021 at 7:30 a.m. Ed.
Please see Chris Carr's upcoming email with the dial in / login instructions and links. Ed.
New Pictures - Send to michaelcglover@comcast.net . Ed.
From the Members and Archives
From the ....
....archives....
....2019
The next 2021-2022 Rotary logo.
IMPORTANT UPDATE to Upcoming Events Below
Important - Check with meeting leaders to confirm date, time and location information for all events below.
Important - Check with meeting leaders to confirm date, time and location information for all events below.
Happy Bucks and Polio Pitcher Donations
Please send your Happy Buck and Polio Pitcher donations to Mac H. as follows:
Mac Hardin
Minnetonka Rotary Club
12926 Rutledge Circle
Minnetonka, MN 55305
Rotary International Foundation
Please send your end of year donations to Chris Rosenlund as follows:
Chris Rosenlund
8672 Meadowvale Drive
Eden Prairie, MN 55347
Meeting Minutes - Jerald Stiele
7:32 Called to order by Chris Carr.
Guests
Tim Mulcrone – Rotarian and today’s speaker.
Invocation
from Flrorian N.:
Father:
Thank You for every single person present on this zoom meeting today.
For each mind and heart that fills the presence of this online meeting, we thank You. Only You truly know what we are setting out to accomplish today.
We have an idea, a vision, hints, and daily instructions. We have talents, abilities, and time to work. However, only You can see in perfect detail the end of every beginning. Every project, every season, every life. Nothing is ever in vain, for even mistakes and missteps are used for good.
Your righteousness transcends all our efforts and understanding. Forgive us for our pride. The pride that puffs us up and the pride that threatens to unqualify us. Guard our hearts from pride and selfish gain as we celebrate today. Strengthen our confidence in who You have made us to be. Set us free from comparison in order to work together efficiently.
Bless this meeting today, all those present, as well as the lives of those we will encounter afterward. Ready us to make every moment count.
In His Name, Amen
Pledge
Jennifer S.
4-Way Test
Mark F. – Mark tested our memory by having us recite the test in reverse order!
Rotary Minute
From Cathy C. -
Our incoming Rotary International President for 2021-2022, Shekhar Mehta, West Bengal, India has chosen the presidential theme, Serve to Change Lives which he shared with incoming district governors on Feb.1 during the Rotary International Assembly which was done virtually, instead of in Orlando FL.
Mehta spoke about how participating in service projects through Rotary changed him as a person and made him empathize more with the needs of others. Soon after joining his club, he helped carry out projects that benefited rural communities in India.
Some of the poor conditions he saw in those communities strengthened his commitment to service.
Mehta participated in initiatives that brought artificial limbs to children, clean water and sanitation to homes, and better health care facilities to communities.
“Service became a way of life for me and I like many others, adopted the guiding philosophy that Service is the rent I pay for space I occupy on this earth, and I want to be a good tenant of this earth”
Mehta encouraged district governors-elect to lead by example during their term and inspire Rotary and Rotaract members to participate in projects that have measurable and sustainable impacts. He is asking each club to conduct a Rotary Day of Service.
At the end of each year, especially his, he says we should feel that because of our inspiration and actions, the world will have changed for the better because of the service done by us during the year.
Announcements
(I may have missed a few to let my dogs out to the bathroom.)
Alexa R. - Reminder of the Happy Hour for Empty Bowls on March 2nd from 4:30pm - 5:30pm Register here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WB77HPQ Also she reminded us to take the surveys she sent out.
Ron U. - Thanks for the support for Roaring Through Winter so far! Register here for the upcoming shows: https://portal.clubrunner.ca/3776
Dale F. - Empty Bowls is coming up – keep the donations coming!!
Jerald S. - Polar Plunge gained another sponsor – Restwell Mattress! Add that to Hopkins Auto Body and Chris Carr and Guaranteed Rate and you get an automatic $150 pledge to jump in a lake!! Register or donate here: https://reg.plungemn.org/team/minnetonkarotaryplungers
Lenny N. : Great job with Polio contributions – keep them coming.
Happy Bucks
(again, my dogs bathroom needs distracted me.)
Lenny, Chris C., Ann, Patti, Terry, Jerald, Sam, and Nancy are all happy Rotarians!
Program
Tim Mulcrone.
Tim is our Rotary Districts Chair for Polio. He is also the last active, charter member of the Chanhassen Rotary Club.
Rotary joined the fight to eradicate Polio in the mid 1980’s and has been working on it ever since. We are down to 114 cases in only 2 countries – Pakistan and Afghanistan! And Rotary is responsible for that!!
Why: 2021 marks the 23rd anniversary for Hopkins/Minnetonka community Empty Bowls event – an event that has often been tagged as “the great community get together.” While they tried to creatively find a way to come together in person, unfortunately, for safety reasons this is just not possible. One thing, however, remains the same – the needs of the community persist and we can still come together, virtually, to help meet those needs. All donors are welcome to stop by ICA Food Shelf to choose a piece of community-created art and a coupon for a free cup of soup from one of our favorite local restaurants and a free loaf of bread from Breadsmith. - We are going to be creating this ART!
Cost: $20 for adults & $10 for kids (includes art supplies and drinks) - After the bills are paid we will make a great donation to Empty Bowls!
2. From Patti S. and Ron U. - Fundraising - Entertainment Package
Tickets: All links can be found right on the club’s website: https://portal.clubrunner.ca/3776. You just have to scroll down a bit and hit the “read more” button. All the link are then displayed.
Stevie Ray’s Improv Comedy Show
February 11, 2021 | 7-8 pm
A whole hour of interactive family fun and laughter.
Spend an hour with Certified Meditation and Mindfulness teacher, Betsy Weiner as she guides you to bring more peacefulness, calm, and relaxation to your life.
All levels welcome and no prior experience necessary.
3. From Nancy D. - Minnetonka Rotary Foundation meeting February 2, 2021 - Community updates from ICA, Resource West, and Relate Counseling
MRF had an opportunity to hear from Dan Narr, Executive Director of ICA Food Shelf, Tarrah Palm, Executive Director of Resources West, and Becky McNattin of Relate Counseling during our monthly meeting. The information they shared was sobering but also presents a challenge to us.
From Dan Narr: ICA has ample food supplies and is doing another mass food distribution on Feb 20. They have great volunteer support. They are ordering more food from Great Harvest and other suppliers as food rescue using volunteers is much more challenging in these times. Rent and utility assistance requests are up 800%. ICA receives assistance from Hennepin County and the City of Minnetonka but the City of Hopkins has no further funds. Clients are looking for employment assistance and there is a FT employment counselor on staff. Any job leads would be greatly appreciated.
From Tarrah Palm: The pandemic crisis and its fallout highlights problems that were already present. RW is helping families new to the system navigate options including unemployment insurance. Government safety nets are not enough to meet the need. Families will take years to get back to their “normal.” Academic support for students is crucial. Helping families stay in stabile housing is critical.
From Beck McNattin: Relate Counseling had planned for an increase in services prior to the pandemic. Since schools are meeting virtually, teachers are less able to see the needs of students and referring for help. They have expanded their program to 6 school districts (was 3) and are using more interns to meet needs. They are working to help families access health insurance but no one is turned away for lack of funds. All therapies are delivered virtually – office, home, or front seat of a car.
Following these presentations, MRF voted to create a $6000 challenge grant for Empty Bowls. This annual event benefits both ICA and Resource West and they can jointly decide how best to use the funds. We will address issues raised by Relate Counseling at our March 16 meeting.
Club Information
Minnetonka Rotary Club
The Club for Building Responsible Youth
We meet Wednesdays at 7:15 AM
Eisenhower Community Center
1001 Highway 7 in Room 233
( above portico entrance )
Hopkins,
MN 55305 United States of America
